Abbé Paramelle: early excursions and observations in the department of Lot (1818-1827)
Abstract
Abbé Paramelle explored for water on the Causses of the department of Lot beginning in 1818. He was aggrieved by the plight of his parishioners who lived on the limestone plateau and suffered from a severe lack of water for themselves, their farm animals, and their crops. Believing that water could be found nearby, Paramelle began nine years of walking the Causses to find out where the rainwater went. By 1827 he had observed enough terrain to be able to locate water and determine its depth. He submitted a report on his ideas to the government of the department of Lot in 1827, who supported the testing of his theory. Paramelle found water as predicted and his services were soon in high demand. He was released from his parish duties in 1832 and started a career spanning 22 years during which he found water throughout France. His observational method used stratigraphy and geomorphology. He popularized the idea that water was not far below the land surface and that it could be reached without excessive effort. Because he did his early water research on a limestone plateau, he recorded and published important karst observations.
Origin : Publisher files allowed on an open archive